Woodford is Longfield (also called Drumlevan) in which were the remains of an O'Rorke Castle. These three Castles - Woodford, Longfield and Cloncorick - were in a direct line with one another and also were on the direct route to Tara. The old man John Sheridan, whom I have already mentioned, told me that the last O'Rorke to own Cloncorik was a John O'Rorke and that he had been declared illegitimate at a Court of Claims held in Carrigallen in the end of Elizabeth's reign. If this should be correct he (John O'Rorke) might possibly have been a brother of Brian Óg of the Battle Ones (?) and son of Brian na Murtha (Brian of the Ramparts) executed at Tyburn for sheltering the soldiers of the Spanish Armada. Brian na Murtha was twice married - first to one of the O'Donnell's and then to a lady of the Burkes (Clanrickarde). Brian Óg was a son of the first marriage and this marriage was declared illegal by the English and the children of it illegitimate. If Brian Óg and John of Cloncorick were brothers it would be a corroboration of the old man's story.
John O'Rorke of Cloncorick is said to have spent some time "in foreign parts" - India is mentioned. He is said to have taken home with him an Indian Princess as his bride. Owing to his ill-treatment

Pollock was one of the worst landlords that ever came to Ireland. He came from Scotland to East Galway where he evicted the people from their houses and homes from the village of Laurencetown to the town of Woodford. Whereas he said it was little enough for himself and his steward and that Ireland was only like a cabbage garden. He carried out evictions very quickly. Pass by a man's house in the morning at the time of this landlord

There is a disused road leading from the road to the river in Boola. It was once a great road as the big cargo boats from Limerick came up that river to the end of the road. The Woodford traders sent down their horses and cars and got their loads of provisions. There was also a road from Saunders gate down through his fields leading to Kylenamelly.There was an excursion from Rossmore pier and Peter Burke of Woodford made a bet of a pound that he would be in Killaloe before the boat would come in. The name of the boat was "Lady Betty Balfour" He ran to Killaloe and he was on the quay before the boat came in and he won the pound.There was a man going to America and he forgot his sailing order. The people of the house went to Pat Guiran of Boola. He put the side-car on his horse and set out for Killaloe. He got there in one hour and some minutes and gave the sailing order to the man before he left the town.About forty years ago there was ice about a foot thick on the Shannon. Two men were going across the Shannon and they had a dog going before them. The dog came to a crack in the ice and he turned back. Only for that the two men were drowned.

They made baskets in every house. Drafs were made out of gads. (sallied) They made dye from bog black and log wood. They dyed the wool with it. The wheelwright made the wheels. They made whips from sheepskin. The nailer made the nails. Jack Keary's grandfather of Woodford was a nailer.

There are eight tailors, their names are Joe Power, Martin, Thomas and Jimmy Burke, Mick Davis, Thomas Lahy, Rick Mullin, Mathew Gradty. They work at home. They stock alot of cloth. John Broder has a spinning wheel. On St Martins day the people used to kill a hen and sprinkle the blood in the four corners of the house. There are five forges in the parish of Woodford, Mick Canlans and Chridty Conways in anask. Jack Mineogs in Doruber, Martin Egans and Canlans in Woodford, Martin Egans father and grandfather were smiths. The two forges in anask are near a cross road and stream. The roof of the garage is thatched. The door is square. There is one fireplace on a stone flag about two feet high.
The bellows is over the fire the handle is at the side the bellows is made of strong cloth he blows the fire by pulling the handle up and down.
The smith uses a vice, a hamer, a rasp, a pincers and a knife. It is said that forge water would vanish warts. The people long ago used red dale for showing light when it was dry. They made candles from wax. They used timber pegs instead of nails.

In the year 1846 all the crops failed, the potatoes and the grain crop all rotted. Half of the people died with hunger. It was said that a woman died coming from Woodford. Larns Dillon made a poem about his son who died in Kilkenny jail. The people got food from England during the famine. The people lived on gruel too.

In the village of Ballinagar wihch is situated to the north of Woodford, Co. Galway, there lived an old woman named Mrs. Hynes who was supposed to be in the fairies. Her husband wanted to know all about them. She gave him all the information one night. The next night there was a girl getting married in Tipperary and the fairies wanted her with them. It was said that if the girl sneezed

In Toorliera there is a place called the Priest's Cairn dated 1810. In ancients times a priest went from Woodford to Loughatorick lake to fish

The Penal TimesThere is a place in Loughataorick, near Woodford, called the "Old Church". In ancient times there was an old Church built there. It was thatched, and a huge rock served as an Altar. A priest from Looscaun went there on horseback to read Mass. There was a Mass path leading from Woodford by which the priest used to travel.It is said that a man living near by took in the Altar Stone in hopes that it would bring him luck. That night none of the family could sleep with a terrible noise in the room where he had the rock. Next morning at daylight he had to leave back the rock again. The ruins are still to be seen, also the stone Altar steps.From 49 to 57 obtained from Thomas Kearney.

Land League DaysThe tenants around Woodford made one of the biggest struggles in Ireland during the Land League Days. Many big meetings were held at that time.The people of Woodford had a lot of trouble with their Landlords on account of the high rents they had to pay. A lot of big meetings were held to see if their Landlords would lower their rents.Thousands of tenants attended those meetings. The biggest of those meetings was the "Midnight Meeting". This meeting was arranged to be on the town one Sunday evening at three o'clock but it was proclaimed. The police told them that they could not hold the meeting or if they did they would use the battens on them and if necessary fire on them.The people agreed not to have it

Of the three chief landlords, who held sway in this parish, Lewis was the most severe. The other two did not inflict as much punishment on the people. huntington was the most popular of the landlords. He had control of the tenants who lived around here. The poor people who were not able to pay their rents were often forgiven by him. Sometimes, he let them free for a year and a half. That was not the way with Lewis, he let nobody free, even the poorest who were scarcely able to provide the necessities of life. He had no mercy, but drove them out on the roadside. Some of the people who were evicted by him, dwelt with a neighbour for a term and later on purchased a new farm. Others kept going from house to house until they agreed to pay a part of the rent. This would leave them poorer than ever and without a penny to purchase food, but by dint of hard work some would survive the trouble.
Lewis evicted several families, but the particular case I have heard most about took place in the village of Tulla, over fifty years ago. Tulla lies between the towns of Woodford and Loughrea, but only two miles from Woodford in a south western direction. The name of the tenant was Fardy Moran. he did not pay his rent for some years perhaps three and so, he suffered well for his houlding out. The bailiff came accompanied by a big army of peelers and put himself and his wife and ten children out on the roadside. The house was not damaged but the

did not teach their daughters how to spin as it could spare much money for them. The woolen clothes worn formerly were much warmer and more lasting than most of the clothes worn at the present time. There were two weavers near this locality until recently and their names were William Allen of Loughatorick Woodford Co. Galway and Frank Winters who lived in Mount Shannon Co. Clare

One time there was a certain man around here whose wife had just given birth to her first-born son so he set off for the town of Woodford to have the child’s birth registered and to buy a sack of whiskey for the Christening party. He had a companion with him and late that night as

Loughrea yet, called the "Old Road". They were much like the roads to the bog. The people used to put stones on the roads as they had no steamroller long ago. It was with spades and shovels they did their work. There are many roads leading to other cities and towns from Loughrea such as Athenry Road, Galway Road, Woodlawn road, Ballinasloe road, Woodford road and the Gort road all of which are kept in good repair by the County-Council and are cleaned about once a week.

started the red coat hunt for him. He was not found. He was hidden and fed in a cave in Maxwell's rock, until he got away to America. The cave is still there and still known as Looby's cave. In my next instalments John will deal on Prince Charles and the attempt on his life in the Gore estate Woodford.

Ordnance Survey maps. To the east of the hill the land slopes away gently. The tradition is that two Kings fought a single combat here in the distant past. The terms of the combat were arranged on the top of Mullach an Dá Rí and the combat took place in the lower plain to the East of the hill.In the townland are also "The King's Well" and "The King's Grave". The latter is probably a Druids' Altar as it is on the side of a hill farther to the North and facing eastwards. Tradition does not say who the Kings were.From earliest times, tradition says, Cloncorick was the residence of a King or Prince. It has always been connected with the O'Rorkes', Princes of Breffney. Woodford Castle - now in ruins - was the principal residence of the O'Rorkes' up to the 13th Century when the division into East and West Breffney was made - Breffney O Rorke and Breffney O'Reilly. Woodford is to the North East of Newtowngore about 7 miles from Cloncorick and the ruined castle is on the lands of people named Maguire. These lands formerly belonged to Gore (a planter) and hence "Newtowngore". They afterwards were owned by people named Upperton (English stock) but at present the Gael is again in possession. Between Concorick and

Hydrophobia- Many people have cures through the country for different diseases, which afflict both man and beast. A much dreaded disease known as hydrophobia was very prevalent about this country over thirty years ago. A cow belonging to Mr Mac Brien of Newtowngore was bitten by a mad dog on the Woodford road, and the two families who used her milk, Mac Brien and Bryson went under a cure for nine days under the direction

occurred in the month of August. It took with it three acres of corn from one farmer living on the banks of the Feale also // winds of hay and many cattle. It brought many sheep from the Limerick district. The flood was so great that it blocked the outflow of the river Smearla and entered a house owned by James Kennelly of Woodford causing his property much damage. It burst up a new concrete floor and

There was a great storm about 8th of August 1929. It took away many winds of hay belonging to a farmer at Woodford. And about three nights after a great flood arose and

At Derrig Crag [Derrycrag] in Woodford, Co. Galway, there is a holy well. There is a pilgrimage to it every Saturday in the month of July.